Latch operating mechanism for bulkheads

ABSTRACT

An improved mechanism for operating the latches of a bulkhead, by means of a third handle spaced between the upright edges of the bulkhead, is provided by cam means that effects selective reciprocation of a cross rod which interconnects the two latchoperating handles that are normally provided at the edges of the bulkhead. The cam means include and cooperate with a handle that pivots relative to the cross rod that is to be reciprocated. The cam means normally bias the handle to a stored-away position within the confines of the bulkhead.

United States Patent Enochian [45] Oct. 3, 1972 [54] LATCH OPERATING MECHANISM 3,352,257 11/1967 Lehnert 105/376 FOR BULKHEADS Rrimary Examiner-Robert L. Wolfe [72] Inventor. Samuel H. Enochian, Thornton, Ill. Atmmey Lettvin and Gent-man [73] Assignee: Unarco Industries Inc. 22 Filed: on. 16, 1970 [57] ABSIRACT An improved mechanism for operating the latches of a [211 App! 81294 bulkhead, by means of a third handle spaced between the upright edges of the bulkhead, is provided by cam 52 US. Cl ..292/36, 105/376 means that effects Selective reciprocation of a cross 51 Int. Cl. ..E05c 1/06, E05c 9/16 rod whichimercomects thefwo latch-Operating 58 Field of Search ..292/34, 36, 37, 40; 105/376 that are "(many Pmvlded the edges bulkhead. The cam means include and cooperate with a handle that pivots relative to the cross rod that is to [56] References Cited be reciprocated. The cam means normally bias the UNITED STATES PATENTS handle to a stored-away position within the confines of l the bulkhead. 3,330,584 7/1967 Kuellman ..292/36 3,575,451 4/1971 Konrad ..292/35 9 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures LATCH OPERATING MECHANISM FOR BULKHEADS FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a device for operating the latching mechanism that is normally provided on a bulkhead used as a space divider in freight-carrying bodies such as railway boxcars and the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The use of movable, space-dividing, bulkheads within freight-carrying devices, such as railway boxcars, is well known. U.S. Pat. No. 3,168,055 discloses use of link mechanisms for interconnecting the latch pins of such a bulkhead with latch-operating handles located at the spaced upright edges of such a bulkhead, so that each handle will be effective to actuate all the latch pins simultaneously. U.S. Pat. No. 3,330,584 discloses the improvement of a single, substantially horizontal, reciprocating, cross rod having lost motion connections operatively associated with the handles and latch means, so that each handle will be effective to actuate all the latch pins simultaneously without actuating the other handle. I P

It has heretofore been suggested to use a torque tube as a link for interconnecting all latch pins of a bulkhead, so that pivoting of the tube by use of a handle will operate to move all the latch pins simultaneously. It has been suggested to use multiple handles, such as three, arranged along the length of the torque-tube link for selectively effecting actuation of the latch pins from different positions along the width of a bulkhead. However, in such a construction the handles that are not being used as an actuator must not move with the torque tube, and it was necessary to provide a clutch for each handle that would permit of selective operative interengagement of each handle with the torque tube. Such constructions, including clutches that normally must disengage but may be readily engaged for operation in a pivoting action, are awkward in use and relatively expensive.

It has not heretofore been suggested to provide a third handle for a reciprocating cross-rod such as used in U.S. Pat. No. 3,330,584, since the two handles provided in that construction operate to swing in the plane of the bulkhead and addition of a similar third handle swinging within the plane of the bulkhead at a midpoint of the bulkhead would be very awkward to actuate because of difficulty of applying substantial forces to handle at such a position and attitude.

It is, therefore, a principle object of this invention to provide an improved construction for effecting actuating of latch pins of a bulkhead utilizing a reciprocating cross-rod, and which construction may be effectively operated even when weight of lading is bearing against the bulkhead.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved actuating device for the latch pin mechanism of a movable bulkhead in a railway car, wherein a centrally positioned actuating handle cooperates with a camming mechanism for providing longitudinal movement of a cross rod passing through the bulkhead, in order to actuate the linkage for retracting the latch pins.

A further object of the invention is to provide an actuating device for the latch pin mechanism of a bulkhead wherein three actuating handles are provided with two such handles at opposite upright ends of the bulkhead for swinging movement in the plane of the bulkhead and with the third actuating handle centrally positioned on the cross rod that passes through the bulkhead, the third handle being arranged to swing transversely of the bulkhead, and wherein each ofthe actuating handles is operable independently of the other actuating handles to retract the latch pin's without causing the other handles to move.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an improved actuating device, for the latch pin mechanism of a movable bulkhead, which device is characterized by its simplicity and economy of construction and by its effectiveness in use.

Further purposes and objects of this invention will be apparent from the following explanation of the invention, which is provided in the detailed description and claims, and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

ION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a typical railroad freight car equipped with a bulkhead that embodies the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, enlarged, partially sectioned side view of a bulkhead, showing the improved latch operating mechanism as including both structure from the prior art and new structure including a third operating handle;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, enlarged, partially sectioned end view as viewed looking from the right of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the lost motion connection at one of the operating handles located at the edge of the bulkhead;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged top plan view of the third handle for operating the latch pin mechanism, with the third handle in its non-actuated position of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to the view of FIG. 5, with the third handle in position to effect longitudinal movement of the cross-rod to actuate the latch pins; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 7-7 of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a typical environment for a bulkhead that embodies the invention. Thus, a railway boxcar is shown in plan as including side walls 10, end walls 12, door openings 14, lading 16 and space-dividing bulkheads 18 that are movable longitudinally in the car and operate to hold lading 16 in position. As disclosed in the said U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,168,055 and 3,330,584, each bulkhead 18 is provided with latch pins 20 at the corners of the bulkhead adapted to be reciprocated between a position of latching engagement with fixed structure 22 on the car and an unlatched position.

Each bulkhead 18 includes end post structure 24 at each upright edge with link means 26 therein connected to the latch pins 20. A handle 28 is arranged to swing in the plane of bulkhead 18 to actuate the link means 26 that includes a substantially horizontal cross bar 30 that extends through bulkhead l8 and interconnects the link means 26 and handles 28 in the two end posts. Each handle 28 is slidable in a sleeve 32 between full line position of storage and a broken line position of use where it serves as a lever to multiply the applied force to facilitate withdrawal of the latch pins 20. Each sleeve 32 is arcuately apertured at 34, as seen in FIG. 4, to provide a lost motion connection between sleeve 32 and an abutment 35 that is arranged to operate a link 36 that connects to cross bar 30. Thus far, the structure herein described is of the type disclosed in full detail in US. Pat. No. 3,330,584, and by this reference to such disclosure in the priorart the same is adopted by reference herein and made a part hereof. The latch pins are normally spring biased toward a latching position. When the latch pins 20 are in latching position, the cross bar 30 is at its furthermost position to the right as viewed in FIG. 2. Any manipulation of either handle 28 will tend to move cross bar 30 to the left from the position shown in FIG. 2 for purposes of effecting unlatching of all the latch pins 20.

A third handle is added by the instant invention to the structure disclosed. FIG. 2 illustrates the location of the added structure. The bulkhead 18 is shown to include opposite side panels 18a that operate to enclose the frame structure of the bulkhead. Preferably such panels 18a are of sheet metal although such cover panels may be of any appropriate material. Centrally between the edges of the bulkhead, each panel 18a has a cut-out portion of access aperture 18b. The aperture I 18b has an abutment edge 180 located substantially at a level in the region of mid-height of cross bar 30 or slightly higher. The edge 180 which is intended to serve as a stop abutment may be reinforced by a strip 18d welded thereto as seen in FIG. 7. The panel 18a has a second opening, or aperture, l8e for manual access to an inching fall chain 38 of a type similar to that disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,168,055.

As to the specifics of the third handle and its associate structure, a U-shaped brace-mount 40 (FIGS. and 6) is secured to and between side panels 18a. The bight 40a is apertured at 40b to accommodate cross bar 30. An annular first, or fixed, cam 42 with a V-shaped saddle, or cam, surface 44 is secured to mount 40 by means of nut and bolt means 46 with the bolt heads received in countersunk recesses 48 on cam 42. The central aperture 50 of cam 42 and aperture 42b are large enough to avoid any interference with cross bar 30 as it moves under influence of handles 28. At about mid-length of cross bar 30 the movement of cross bar 30 is essentially longitudinal although there is some pitching movement, but the latter is accommodated by proper selection of size of apertures 50 and 42b. The V- shaped saddle 44 is arranged so that the junction or apex would lie substantially vertically through the longitudinal axis of cross-bar 30.

A second, or movable, annular cam 5.2 is arranged in mirror image fashion spaced from cam 42. The movable cam member 52 has a V-shaped saddle, or cam, surface 54. The opposite side of cam member 52 carriesa sleeve 56 rigidly secured, such as by welding, to cam member 52. The sleeve 56 and cam member 52 are secured to cross bar 30, to be movable therewith, by means of a cross bolt, or pin, 58 that extends through the longitudinal axis of bar 30.

The third handle 60 is disposed between the two cam members 42 and 52. Handle 60 includes a bar-likeactuator a that is transversely bored at 60b so as to provide a pivot journal for slidably receiving cross bar 30 therethrough, and an extension 60c of a length to provide adequate leverage to move cam member 52 and cross bar 30 from the position'of FIG. 5 to the position 'of FIG. 6. The actuator 60a is of selected size and shape to cooperate withcams 44 and 54. Preferably actuator 60a is a cylindrical bar of a diameter dimension to match the low points 44a and 54a of the cam surfaces as seen in FIG. 5, and of anaxial or length dimension to bridge the high points 44b and 54b of the cam surfaces as seen in FIG. 6.

Another U-shaped brace 62 may be provided opposite brace 40 for purposes of rigidifying the panels 18a in the region of aperture 18b. The brace 62 should be apertured at 62b to accommodate entry of sleeve 56 as seen in FIG. 6.v 1

In order to make the parts abut as in FIG. 5, it may be necessary to provide shims between cam member 42 and bight 40a of brace 40.

The operation and advantages of the device will now be understood from the foregoing description. When the latch pins 20 are in latching engagement with structure 22, the third handle 60assumes the positions seen in FIGS. 2 and 5. In said position, the handle 60 depends vertically within the confines of the bulkhead 18 between side panels 18a.

When either of the two edge-mounted handles 28 is manipulated so as to effect withdrawal of the latch pins 20, the cross bar 30 moves from the positions shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 toward the left in those Figures. Such action by cross bar 30 has no effect on third handle 60 that would tend to move said handle 60 away from its vertical position between side panels 18a.

If an operator desires to withdraw the latch pins 20 while he is standing in the middle of the railway car, he reaches through the adjacent aperture 18b, grasps the handle 60, and swings it outwardly toward himself in a direction transverse to the bulkhead 18. This action causes the bar-like actuator 60a to engage the cam surfaces of the earns 42 and 52 and to move the cam 52 to the position seen in FIG. 6. Because the actuator 60a rides up on the high points 44b of the stationary cam,

the handle 60 itself not only pivots on cross bar 30 but also slides along cross bar 30 to the position of FIG. 6. Since cam 52 is pinned by cross'bolt 58 to the cross bar 30, such action operates to move the cross bar 30 Iongitudinally, to the left as seen in FIG. 6, to a position which will withdraw all the latch pins 20 to a retracted position. At the same time, the lost motion connections, one of which is shown in FIG. 4, are operative to prevent the handles 28 from being actuated by the said longitudinal movement of the cross bar 30. By moving the handle 60 downward slightly from the full open position of FIG. 6, the bias of spring means associated with the latch pins 20 takes over and moves the cross bar 30 back to its original position, toward the right in FIG. 5, where the cam surfaces and 54 force the handle 60 to the vertical position seen in FIG. 5 where the handle is held in vertical position.

Preferably the mechanism shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is located as close to the center of the bulkhead as possible since in this region there is the least vertical displacement, or pitching, of the cross bar 30 during the actuation of the cross bar 30: by the handles 28. The

fixed cam 42, by being attached to a support 40 with removable means as shown, permits application of shims as needed between cam member 42 and support 40 both for lateral adjustment and to compensate for wear of the elements. The central aperture 50 of fixed cam 42 providing a sleeve-type structure adjacent cross bar also serves as an intermediate support to inhibit and prevent buckling or undesirable bowing of the cross bar 30 as may occur when there is a high axial load thereon. By locating the cross bolt 58 at right anglcs to the high lobes 54b of the cam member 52, the member 52 is pivotable to permit of a degree of self adjustment or alignment between the profile line of cam surface 54 and the surface of actuator 60a that operates to center the actuator 60a relative to the profile lines of cams 44 and S4, and to eliminate skew forces that may develop between actuator 60a and the cams during the operation of handle 60.

lt will be seen that the shape of the cam surfaces 44 and 54 are selected so that there is only a small gap between the high lobe points 44b and 54b of the cams, when in the position of FIG. 5. This arrangement avoids contact between the cams and insures a positive force against the handle 60. The earns 44 and 54 are arranged annularly of and closely surrounding cross bar 30. The handle 60 with elongated hand grip portion 60c provides a large mechanical advantage that assists in effecting movement of cam 52 and cross bar 30. The clamping force developed by the cam members 42 and 52 against the actuator 60a provides a means to securely hold the handle 60 in a vertical position to prevent any undesirable swing of the handle through apertures 18b against the lading while the car is in motion.

It is desirable to prevent the handle 60 from being rotated substantially beyond a position that is substantially perpendicular to the bulkhead during the unlatching of the bulkhead. As best seen in FIG. 7, the abutment edge 180 of the access aperture 18b, being positioned across the path of swing of hand grip portion 60c of handle 60, provides a convenient stop that serves such a purpose.

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention and, therefore, it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In an actuator of multiple latch pins on a bulkhead utilizing a substantially horizontally reciprocating cross bar for tying together all the latch pins for simultaneous actuation, and a handle and lost motion connection for the handle at each upright edge of the bulkhead arranged to permit each handle to manipulate the latch pins and cross bar without actuating the other handle,

the improvement of a third handle located between the said upright edges of the bulkhead and cooperatively arranged with the cross bar to longitudinally reciprocate the cross bar to actuate the latch pins without actuating either of the other two handles, said third handle being mounted on the cross bar to permit sliding of the crfoss bar rglativ to the hird handle, so that actuation 0 either 0 the irst two andles will not operate to actuate the third handle.

2. An actuator as in claim 1 including cam means arranged to effect longitudinal movement of the cross bar, said cam means including a cam arranged annularly of and closely adjacent the cross bar and movable therewith, the third handle being pivotally mounted on the cross bar and including an actuator portion thereon positioned for operative engagement with the annularly arranged cam, and an elongated handle grip portion that is adapted to swing to a position outwardly of and transverse of the plane of the bulkhead for developing a large mechanical advantage to effect movement of the cam and cross bar.

3. An actuator as in claim 1 wherein all three handles are arranged to be housed within the confines of the bulkhead when not in use, the two handles at the upright edges of the bulkhead being arranged to be moved substantially within the plane of the bulkhead to cause the cross bar to reciprocate and the third handle being arranged to move transversely of the plane of the bulkhead to cause the cross bar to reciprocate.

4. An actuator as in claim 1 wherein the third handle is located approximately midway between the said upright edges of the bulkhead where vertical movement of the cross rod is at its minimum.

5. An actuator as in claim 1 including cam means arranged to effect movement of the cross bar, said cam means comprising a first cam fixed to the bulkhead, a second cam connected to and movable with the cross bar, and said handle being located between the two said cams and arranged for cooperative engagement therewith to effect movement of the second cam and cross bar relative to the first cam.

6. An actuator as in claim 5 wherein the cams are shaped to cooperate with the handle therebetween t0 normally maintain the third handle in an inoperative position stored within the confines of the bulkhead.

7. An actuator as in claim 5 wherein the second cam is connected to the cross bar through a pivot pin that is at an angle to a profile line of the cam surface so as to permit of a range of self alignment of the second cam relative to the handle.

8. An actuator as in claim 2 wherein the opposite sides of the bulkhead adjacent the third handle provide apertures through which the handle may be swung, and

means on the bulkhead serving as a stop to engage the handle to limit swinging movement of the handle about the axis of the cross bar.

9. An actuator as in claim 8 wherein an edge of the aperture serves as the handle-engaging stop. 

1. In an actuator of multiple latch pins on a bulkhead utilizing a substantially horizontally reciprocating cross bar for tying together all the latch pins for simultaneous actuation, and a handle and lost motion connection for the handle at each upright edge of the bulkhead arranged to permit each handle to manipulate the latch pins and cross bar without actuating the other handle, the improvement of a third handle located between the said upright edges of the bulkhead and cooperatively arranged with the cross bar to longitudinally reciprocate the cross bar to actuate the latch pins without actuating either of the other two handles, said third handle being mounted on the cross bar to permit sliding of the cross bar relative to the third handle, so that actuation of either of the first two handles will not operate to actuate the third handle.
 2. An actuator as in claim 1 including cam means arranged to effect longitudinal movement of the cross bar, said cam means including a cam arranged annularly of and closely adjacent the cross bar and movable therewith, the third handle being pivotally mounted on the cross bar and including an actuator portion thereon positioned for operative engagement with the annularly arranged cam, and an elongated handle grip portion that is adapted to swing to a position outwardly of and transverse of the plane of the bulkhead for developing a large mechanical advantage to effect movement of the cam and cross bar.
 3. An actuator as in claim 1 wherein all three handles are arranged to be housed within the confines of the bulkhead when not in use, the two handles at the upright edges of the bulkhead being arranged to be moved substantially within the plane of the bulkhead to cause the cross bar to reciprocate and the third handle being arranged to move transversely of the plane of the bulkhead to cause the cross bar to reciprocate.
 4. An actuator as in claim 1 wherein the third handle is located approximately midway between the said upright edges of the bulkhead where vertical movement of the cross rod is at its minimum.
 5. An actuator as in claim 1 including cam means arranged to effect movement of the cross bar, said cam means comprising a first cam fixed to the bulkhead, a second cam connected to and movable with the cross bar, and said handle being located between the two said cams and arranged for cooperative engagement therewith to effect movement of the second cam and cross bar relative to the first cam.
 6. An actuator as in claim 5 wherein the cams are shaped to cooperate with the handle therebetween to normally maintain the third handle in an inoperative position stored within the confines of the bulkhead.
 7. An actuator as in claim 5 wherein the second cam is connected to the cross bar through a pivot pin that is at an angle to a profile line of the cam surface so as to permit of a range of self alignment of the second cam relative to the handle.
 8. An actuator as in claim 2 wherein the opposite sides of the bulkhead adjacent the third handle provide apertures through which the handle may be swung, and means on the bulkhead serving as a stop to engage the handle to limit swinging movement of the handle about the axis of the cross bar.
 9. An actuator as in claim 8 wherein an edge of the aperture serves as the handle-engaging stop. 